S-300 Supply Will Help Regional Stability
Iran’s Defense Minister, Hossein Dehqan, on Monday welcomed Russia’s decision to lift a ban on the delivery of S-300 anti-missile rocket systems to his country, claiming the decision would help maintain stability in the region.
“The expansion of cooperation [with Russia] and improving cooperation with other neighboring countries in various fields can be very effective in establishing sustainable stability and security in the region,” Dehqan said, according to Iran’s PressTV.
“Extra-regional threats and the spread of terrorism….have increased the need to further expand cooperation [between the two countries]…,” he added.
Russia signed a contract in 2007 to supply Iran with five S-300 advanced missile batteries, which can be used against aircraft or guided missiles, at a cost of $800 million.
In 2010, Russia’s then-president Dmitry Medvedev cancelled the deal, after the United States and Israel applied strong pressure on him. Both countries worry that the S-300 would make Iran less vulnerable to attack by either one of them, and motivate Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.
The Commander of Iran’s Air Defense Forces, Farzad Ismail, said in early 2014 that the missile “Bawer” (Faith) made in Iran, has reached the operational phase of development, and that it features more advanced capabilities than the S-300 Russian-made missile.
Read More: Iran: S-300 Supply Will Help Regional Stability – Middle East – News – Arutz Sheva